Differential for motor vehicles



' J. n'. HALL. DIFFERENTIAL |=oR MoToR VEHlcLEs.

Fl LED MAR. 3, 1922,

JOHN DMHALL, ORRVILLE, OHIO.

.DFFERENTIAL 'gFOR MOTQR VEHICLES.

Application filed` March 3,

To all w from tf/nay concern .Be itknovvnfthat LJOHN l). linnn, a ClZen of the United States, residing at UrrVille, in the county ofWayne and State `ot Ohio, have invented a new and `useful Diiierential for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specilication.

.This inventionrelates to a diierential for motor vehicles and has tor its object to providea deviceofthischaracter in which the `driving- Wheels are loosely nmunted `upon lopposite end;.por.tions of a one, piece4 `drive axle, an independent clutch. beingproulded upon each driveovheel` for. connecting `they same to the drive axle, each clutch beingcon- .trolled automatically by the adj acent liront ...Wheel of the vehicle, [the device bein@` so .con-- V.etructed thatbothuot' the .drive wheelsare normally connected tothe drive axle Awhen `.the vehicle isbeing; driven straightahead, the clutch upon `the insideQdrive Wheel being automatically,opened, allowing; thewheel `.to .tui-ir treelyuponthe axle, .while the Vve-` hiclefis turned `in eitherdirection.

` .With these objects in vieiv, the` invention `consists `1n the `constructionand arrangenient. of "parts,hereinafter described and y illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,

Nbe made Within ,thev scope of` theappended.

it beingunderstoodthat various changes in `the j form. and` `(details ofi construction y `may claims.

.The :invention thusfset forth in general y i terms is illustrated, in-thenaccompanying drawings, rinY Which-- Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame of a motor vehicle provided With a differential constructed in accordance with the invention, parts being broken away for the purpose of illustration; 0 Fig. 2, a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a perspective view of one of the levers which controls the operation ol the clutch upon each driving wheel;

Fig. 4, an end elevation ot the clutch member connected to each Wheel;

Fig. 5, a similar view of a modified form of clutch member; and

Fig. 6, an end elevation oi a modied form oit' the movable clutch member.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding p arts throughout the c raining'.

The main frame of a motor vehicle is designated by the numeral 1 and the front axle 2 is shown connected thereto the usual manner and provided with the usual 1922. `Serial 1\l"0.`.5g40,697.

ve1'ti-cal`posts `3 pivotallymounted in the end `portions oi the axleand provided With the spindles 1,upon. which thefront Wheels i may be utilized 'for turning `the iront'whe als.

`An inwardly disposedmarm G `fixed to the upper endvof each of the posts 3 and has `pivotally connected thereto the 'forward extremity of an operating rod 7, which is mounted upon the frameand-extendsto the rear thereof, being slidably located through guides" 8. r An oiset `portion 9 is provided near the.k rear end of each of the operating rods 7.` Y

The rear axle, 10may 'be driven by any suitablegearinglocated in the housing 11 and connected by means olf ,the shaft 12 with the motor. "Each end oi' the rearaxle is `journaled inIa sleeve'lB which is rotatably mounted in a bearingY 111 carried on the `under side Jof the iframe 1.

fixedupon the axleiandengaging 'the inner end of the sleeve, thus allowing` the sleeve to rotate `freely uponlthe axle,ibut prevent- .ine longitudinal movement thereof- A clutch 'membersucli as is shown at 18 1s fixed upYo-nvthe: inner end of the 'sleeve 13 "and, isprovidednearits periphery with the apertures 19 arranged to receive "the pins 20 which are carried upon `the sliding' clutch member 21, which is splined upon the rear axle 10 and arranged to be moved into en gagement with the clutch member 18.

An annular groove 22 is formed in the sliding clutch member 21 and the pins 23 carried by the depending` arms 2li of the lever 25, extend into said groove. The lever is pivoted at 26 upon a bracket 27 mounted upon the Yfra-me. Arms 2S and 29 are provided upon the lever 25, rollers 30 and 3l respectively being carried at the outer ends of saidarms and arranged to engage the adjacent operating rod 7.

As shown in Fig. l1,vvhen the front Wheels are turned straight ahead, the roller upon the arm 28 of each lever Will be in engagement with the adjacent operatinga rod, near the forward end of the off-Set portion 9, While the roller upon each arm 29 Will be in engagement With the off-set portion 9 near the rear end thereof, thus holding both of the clutches upon the rear Wheels in engagement, both rear Wheels being thus cone pled to the rear axle.

VJhen the -front wheels are turned in either direction, the opera-ting rod 7 upon the outer side will be moved rearwardly, the adjacent lever remaining in the same position, holding the clutch upon the outer wheel in engagement, While the operating rod upon the inner side 1vill be moved forwardly, the roller upon the arm 29 thereof being moved out of engagementwith the ott-eet portion or' the rod, While the roller upon the arm 28 is moved into engagement with, the off-set portion 9, rocking the lever upon its pivotal point and sliding the clutch member 2l out ot engagement with the clutch member 18, allowing the inner rear Wheel to rotate 'freely upon the axle.

InFig. 5, is shown a modiiied :form o'i the clutch member Which may be mounted upon the sleeve 13 instead of the clutch member 18, and Which comprises a disk 1S having internal gear teeth 19a arranged to be engaged by the teeth 20 upon the disk 2la which may be substituted for the sliding clutch member 21.

It Will be evident that with a device of the character above described, both ot the rear wheels Will be connected to the driving axle when the automobile is being driven straight ahead, While when the vehicle is turned in either direction, the inner rear Wheel Will always be automatically disconnected from the axle and 4allovved to rotate freely thereon, While the outer rear Wheel will remain engaged with the driving axle, thus allowing the inner rear Wheel to be rotated at less speed than the outer rear Wheel.

I .claim:

l. In a motor vehicle, a frame, a driving axle, driving Wheels loosely mounted' thereon, clutch members upon the axle arranged to engage said driving Wheels, a lever pivoted upon the frame and engaging` each clutch member, angular arms upon each lever, steering `Wheels, an operating rod operatively connected to the steering knuckle of each steering Wheel and longitudinally slidahle upon the rame and an oil-set portion upon each operating rod arranged to alternately engage the arms olf the adjacent lever.

2. In a motor vehicle, a traine, a driving axle, driving` Wheels loosely mourned thereon, clutches upon the axle for engagement with the driving wheels, a lever pivoted upon the 'frame and engaging each clutch, angular arms upon each lever, one ol' said arms being ot greater length than the other` rollers upon the extremities ol' said arms, steering wheels and an operating rod operatively connected to the steering knuckle ol each steering Wheel, and slidahly mounted upon the frame and an opposite portion upon each operating rod arranged to alternately engage the rollers upon the arms of the adjacent lever.

3. In a motor vehicle, a frame, a driving axle, driving Wheels loosely mounted there# on, a clutch member carried by each driving Wheel, a sliding clutch member lixcd upon the driving axle and arranged to engage each ol the first named clutch members, each of Said sliding clutch n'ieinhers naving an unnular groove. a lever pi voted upon the frame and provided with a yoke engaging the an nular groove ot each sliding clutch, angular arms upon each lever, rollers upon the extremities of said arms, steeringwheels. a rock arm movable with the steering knuckle of each steering Wheel, an operating rod pivotally connected to each rock arm and slidably mounted upon the frame, and an oil'- set portion upon each operating rod arranged to alternately engage the rollers upon the arms of the adjacent lever.

JOHN l). HALL. 

